The present invention relates to an image recording unit which can pivot an image recording unit main body formed into, e.g., a spherical shape, in the direction of a photographing object like the behavior of an eyeball, and a camera having the image recording unit.
As a conventional mechanism for changing the photographing direction of a camera, a system in which a camera main body is attached onto a rotary base (panhead), and the rotary base is motor-driven has been proposed.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional mechanism for changing the photographing direction of the camera, a driving device for rotation is arranged outside the camera main body, resulting in a large structure. In this case, attainable size reduction of a device for fetching an image is limited. In particular, in order to assemble this device in a robot's eye (image input device), the conventional structure has a considerable limitation in size.
Noise upon driving is not small in the conventional mechanism since a device for rotation is arranged outside the camera main body in the conventional mechanism.